Fetch Quest
Year of the Golden Gilled Boar, 1983, Veeratha, Heiar 7th
“… and then he said, ‘this isn’t where I left my magral!’.”
Tukru burst out laughing, hand going up to his face. He forced himself to be serious just enough to swallow the wine lest it come out of his nose. Then he slammed his cup on the small table I had brought up to the ramparts and continued to cackle.
“Jorj, that’s the stupidest story I have ever heard!” He exclaimed smiling ear to ear, his slight gap tooth showing in the torch’s light.
Having spent days cracking my mind open and back to it after barely a day, my brain went numb. If inspiration was an ocean, my mind was a desert. So, about an hour before dusk, I abandoned the table, stacked with even more rolls of parchment, for the castle grounds.
I met Litoc near the stables, unloading sacks, on my second lap. That’s when the first solid idea came to me. Several hours after dark found Tukru and I drinking like college buddies at the ramparts. Perhaps it was the cleaner air, or maybe it was the more open space. Whatever it was, the ramparts above the castle gate was becoming my favorite place at Bariststal.
“Sa, igom. Thank you for doing this on such short notice.”
“Lam, Jorj. It is the least we can do to repay you.”
“How long would you take?”
“Usually, if it was just me, six to seven days is the least.”
“Through Gourm?”
“Ha. I could probably reach it in seven, weather permits. Eight to nine days on the way back.”
“You sure it’s safe to take her by sea?”
“I’ll have the boatmaster hug the shore as much as possible.”
“Thanks, again. I’d ask someone else but you’re the only we one we have that Fraku and Shan knows.”
“There’s plenty out there the innkeeps knows, I was closest.”
Tukru poured himself another cup and tore off a piece of meat from a large plate filled with an assortment of grilled and fried meats. I shook my head lightly remembering Aiela’s behavior at the kitchens when I popped in to request it. As soon as I recited what I wanted, she immediately sprung into action, not even waiting for the cook’s orders.
Funny what a few compliments can do.
“You married?” I asked.
“Never, no.”
“No long term partners, or flings?”
“I had them when I was younger. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering. The innkeepers got married after all.”
I never really got the chance to observe Tukru’s features at close range. When we were on the road, he usually wore a wide brimmed hat. His facial hair also made it tricky to estimate his age.
Between the light of two torches, I could see that he was at least the same age as Litoc, if not older. He was leaner, taller, and more sunburnt than his master. Though he had fewer lines on his face, the lines were deeper. He also had more white hairs than Litoc. All in all it made for a certain kind of look. A rugged kind of charm.
“I had my share of girls back when I was still working here, and some years after.” He related after taking a swig. “Was even supposed to marry.”
“Here we go again.” I chuckled and poured myself another cup.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let me guess, there was something wrong with her, then she drowned. Or she died in a horribly comedic way.”
“Oh, he told you that huh?” He chuckled too.
“I sometimes wonder if Litoc’s telling the truth or he’s just a great storyteller. I had a mind to slap him when told me that story.”
“I admit, looking back, it is quite funny. But no, I had nothing like that.”
“Looking back? You mean it actually happened?”
“Ha. Had there been not enough people who saw Princess Thelama making a scene before jumping, war would have broken out. For certain.”
Fuckin’ what?!
“What princess?” I asked in disbelief.
“Princess Thelama? Prince, well king, King Amreth’s younger sister?”
Jesus, Mary, Joseph! Shit just keeps getting better and better!
“Like Amreth Amreth? King of Khevernak Amreth?”
“One and the same.”
I could not contain it. It was my turn to burst out laughing, like a maniac. The soldiers patrolling the side of the rampart I was facing briefly looked in our direction. I laughed till my sides hurt and was running after my breath.
“I… I didn’t think it could get fu-”
I couldn’t finish my words. My shoulders heaved heavily both from laughing too hard and lack of oxygen.
“It’s a shame really. She was quite brilliant. She was beautiful, kind, appreciative. She would have made a better man out of him if she wasn’t also… highly creative.”
“Crea- wha-”
To say our laughter was boisterous would have been an understatement. I laughed like there was just me and the funny story, everything else didn’t matter. By the time we recovered, we were both gasping for air.
“Annun bless that bridge. Annun bless that day. I… I mean,” Tukru stammered, shaking his head, “they don’t believe in Annun in Khevernak but if Bridge Fadalel wasn’t filled with people that day, there would be no Silaron today.”
“No wonder the Khevernaki king wants to take Silaron. That there is reason enough, albeit two decades and some years late. You’ve been with Litoc all this time?”
“I was made part of his personal guard when I was fifteen. He was around the same age as his nephew then.”
“Fifteen? That doesn’t make sense. He told me you were a hunter or woodsman or something, before you were a soldier.”
“I was, still am. Had to step up when my father died. He was always taking me anyway so there wasn’t much learning needed.”
That’s a hell of a long time to be loyal.
“Would you have followed him to Khevernak, knowing he was most probably going to cause the end of this kingdom?”
“I tried to talk him out of it. In the end, if that’s our end, it would be an honor to die at his side.”
“Really? You would willingly go and leave Silaron to burn? After protecting it all these years?”
“Best man I know. The kindest and noblest, above all. If he wants to burn this kingdom, I will start the fire.”
They don’t make them like you anymore, do they?
“And what if he oversteps? For no reason at all. He goes mad, something like that.”
“We have agreed on certain arrangements, if ever that comes.”
“That’s good to know. I don’t know what’s to come or what else needs doing but I know Silaron is better because the two of you looks out for it.”
Tukru unconsciously straightened up, chest popping out. He nodded slowly several times before taking a sip.
“You still didn’t tell me why you never married. I mean, you said so yourself, you were supposed to be. Was she, what did you- highly creative too?”
“Lam, lam, nothing like that. She was a good girl to marry. Knows her way around a fight like she knows her way around a farm. She’d always bring us food when we had nothing and never asked for anything back.”
“Ah, she fished you.”
“What?”
“Fished you. Used food as bait. Hooked you in.”
“She didn’t need to. I was wanting to ask her to marry me for years, but I always turned tail at the last moment. Even when I was already a soldier, it took me years to walk up to their house and declare my intentions.”
“You said you were to marry so that must have gone well. She must have really like you. How in the waving mysteries can you mess that up?”
“She did really like me back, ha, but I walked away anyway. Had to.”
“Why in the stinking waves would you do that?”
He paused and regarded me seriously.
“Because her ona, he really liked me too.”
I looked him straight in the eyes dumfounded for a few moments. Had the cup been in my hands, it would have flown in his direction. I clapped both hands to my face, trying to hide my reaction but even with my face covered, my lips wouldn’t stay straight. My nostrils kept flaring. The control I was trying to exert to keep it down backfired. As tears started to pool in the corners of my eyes, I surrendered.
We were alike wolves howling into the night.